Torsion fflngse



Feb. 7, 1956 F. R. EcK l 2,733,476

ToRsIoN HINGE Filed sept. 24, 1951 FIG.2. FIG.6

IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent TORSION HINGE Floyd R. Eck, Des Plaines, Ill., assignor to Motor Products Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a "corporation of New York Applicafionsepmber 24, A1951., serial No. 248,445 s claims. (ci. 161s0 f tions thereof shaped to provide aligned tubular sockets or hinge journals, the other `part comprising a length :of heavy wire having its opposite ends shaped to provide aligned hinge pin portions extending in the same direction and adapted to be received within said sockets.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a -torson hinge as described in the preceding `paragraph, in which a torsion spring is provided in one of said sockets and -has one end fixedly `associatedwvith the socket and the other end secured against rotation with respect to the adjacent end of the hinge portion.v

YOther objects and features -of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, 'especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevation of a hinge constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the hinge shown in Figure l as seen from the left.

Figure 3 is a perspective View ofthe hinge.

Figure 4 is a plan View of the hinge indicating the position of associated structure in dotted lines.

Figure 5 is an enlarged elevational View of the hinge with parts broken away and with parts in section.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section similar to Figure 5 showing a modied spring construction.

Referring now to the drawing, the hinge comprises a pair of pivotally associated parts, one of which comprises a ilat mounting plate 10 provided with openings 12 for the reception of screws 14 for mounting the plate to a wall or similar' supporting surface. At its opposite ends the plate 10 is provided with laterally extending ears which are bent to form tubular sockets or hinge journals 16 and 18. For a purpose presently to be described, the upper socket 16 is of greater vertical extent than the lower socket.

The other hinge part 20 comprises a Wire element having its opposite ends shaped to provide hinge pin portions 22 and 24. The hinge pin portions 22 and 24 are spaced apart and are in axial alignment. Directly above the hinge pin portion 22 is a collar 26 and a similar collar 28 is provided directly above the hinge pin portion 24. v

The hinge pin portions 22 and 24 are interconnected by an offset open loop comprising a vertical portion 30 and horizontal portions 32 and 34.

It will be observed that the horizontal loop portion 34 ICC of the wire hinge part 20 .is located intermediate fhinge journals or sockets .16 Iand .18 .in position to abut an -intermediate portion of the plate .10 so as to limit swinging movement between the hinge parts lin one direction.

Means are provided for establishing torque between the .hinge parts and this .means .is best seen in Figure 5. The lower Tend yof kthe :socket or hinge .journal 16 khas fixed therein an internally threaded bushing 36 in which is received 'a Athreaded screw 38 :having ^a slot 40 at its lower or outer end for engagement with a vscrew driver and having means at .its upper end for engagement with a torsion spring 42. Conveniently, the inner or upper end of the screw 38 may be fslotted to receive ia transversely extending Aend portion of the spring 42. Alternatively, the inner portion of the screw .38 maybe provided with a through opening for .receiving the transversely extending lower end of the vspring 42.

The .lower end of Athe :hinge pin portion 22 is provided with a transversely `extending slot 44. The upper portion of the slot `44, `as clearly seen in Figure 5., has side walls which areparallel while the lower portion of the slot has inclined Iside walls 46 which diverge 4a'part to receive the upper end 'of the spring 42 and 'to guide it into ithe parallel sided fporti'on of the slot 44 when the hinge parts are assembled. If desired, a lock nut 48 may be associated with the screw 38. Obviously, the torque applied by the spring y42 Ibetween the Vhinge plate 10 and the hinge part 20 may be adjusted by rotation of the screw 38, the resulting axial Yadvance or retraction of the screw having ino 'appreciable eiect. In other words, the screw :is .merely a :means for :adjusting the torque applied by the spring. While ythe .spring 42 is illustrated as comprising a` helical coil yhaving end portions 'thereof extending transversely to the axis of the helix, it will of course be appreciated that the torsion spring could if desired, take other forms fsuch for example as a flat or helically twisted leaf.

.Such an arrangement .is illustrated in Figure 6 where .a dat spring 42a is shown as received within the bushing 16 and interconnecting the hinge pin portion 22 and the adjusting screw 38.

The present hinge is characterized by the extreme simplicity of its production. In producing the hinge the plate 10 is provided with dat transversely extending ears which are then bent to form tubular or cylindrical open ended sockets as illustrated. The wire part 20 is merely shaped to provide the hinge pin portions, collars 26 and 28 formed thereon by a suitable operation, and the end of one of the hinge pin portions notched to provide the spring receiving slot at its end.

While the hinge illustrated and described herein is capable of general application in the sense that any dcvice which it is desired to mount for swinging movement may be secured to the hinge part 20, the hinge is particularly well adapted to support a swinging refrigerator shelf as illustrated and described in my prior copending application Serial No. 194,227 now Patent No. 2,658,811, dated November 10, 1953, of which the present application is a continuation-impart.

The hinge part 20 and structure secured thereto may be separated from the hinge part 10 by the simple eX- pedient of lifting the hinge part 20 vertically to withdraw the hinge pin portions 22 and 24 from the sockets 16 and 18 respectively. This will of course result in releasing any tension set up in the spring 42, but the hinge part 20 may be restored to operative relationship simply by inserting the hinge pin portions 22 and 24 in the re- 3 t springV into the slot so that after once setting the torsio adjustment it will not need resetting each time the shelf is removed and replaced.

The drawing and the foregoing specification constitute a description of theimproved torsion hinge in such Vfullclear, concise andV exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, thev scope of whichis' indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is: Y

1. A torsion hinge comprising a pair of pivotally connected parts, one of said parts comprising a fiat elongated plate having laterally extending ears at its top and bottom bent to provide vertically extending axially aligned hinge journals, the other part comprising a single wire element having its opposite ends bent to form hinge pin portions extending in the same direction and in axial alignment, said hinge pin portions being received in said hinge journals, the intermediate portion of said wire element extending laterally'from said hinge pin portions, the free end of one of said hinge pin portions having a transverse slot extending thereacross, the hinge journal into which said slotted end extends having an internally threaded bushing fixed in its lower end, a screw extending through said bushing, and a torsion spring in said journal having one end fixed to said screw for rotation thereby, the other end of said spring having a part nonrotatably received in the slot in said hinge pin portion.

2. A hinge as defined in claim 1 in which said wire element is provided with an integral outwardly extending collar spaced inwardly from one of said hinge pin portions and adapted to engage the end of the corresponding hinge journal.

3. A torsion hinge comprising a pair of pivotally connected parts, one of said parts comprising a plate having spaced ears adjacent one edge thereof bent to provide axially aligned spaced apart hinge journals, the other part comprising a single wire element having its opposite ends bent to form spaced hinge pin portions extending in the ysame direction and in axial alignment, the intermediate portions of said wire element extending laterally from said hinge portions, the free end of one of said hinge pin portions extending into one end of one of said hinge journals and having a transverse slot extending thereacross, said one hinge journal having at its other end a member carried thereby for angular adjustment about the axis of said journal, said member having a portion extending into said hinge journal, and a torsion spring in said journal' having one end fixed to the portion of said member within said journal and its other end nonrotatably received in the slot in the free end of said one hinge pin portion, the other hinge pin portion being rotatably received in said other hinge journal.

4. A torsion hinge comprising a tubular journal, a hinge pin having an end portion extending into one end of said journal, the end portion of said pin having a transverse slot at the end thereof, a bushing fixed to the other end of said journal, a torsion spring within said journal having an end received in the slot at the end of said hinge pin within said journal, a spring adjusting element extending axially through said bushing into said journal and angularly adjustable about the axis of said journal, means connecting the inner end of said element to the adjacent end of said spring, and rictional means acting between said element and bushing to permit rotation of said element about the axis of said journal by forces applied to the outer end of said element to vary the effectiveness of said spring but to oppose rotation of said element with forces sufficient to prevent rotation thereof by the action of said spring.`

5. A torsion hinge as deined in lclaim 4 in which the friction means acting between said bushing and element comprises a threaded opening in said bushing and matching screw threads on said element.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 6,112 Joyce Nov. 3, 1874 241,468 Worden May 10, 1881 291,169 Duncan Ian. 1, 1884 1,169,669 Mitchell Ian. 25, 1916 1,312,945 Bellow Aug. 12, 1919 2,025,238 Harter Dec. 24, 1935 2,078,303 Zetmeir Apr. 27, 1937 

